Game apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

E.A. GANNON. GAME APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1902.

up MODEL.

PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

E. A. CANNON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

w M wk i m n m Patented .Tiily 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. CANNON, OF OASCO, WISOO NSIN.

GAME APPARATUS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,179, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed August 30, 1902. Serial No. 121,556. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. CANNON, residing at Casco, in the county of Kewaunee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in game apparatus, the construction being adapted for playing what is known as parlorcroquet.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple construction whereby the en-' tire apparatus can be quickly secured to a canvas ready to be placed upon a table, floor, or other supporting medium, the said canvas being also equipped with means whereby a bordering frame or rim is provided therefor.

A further'object resides in providingan improved and simple means for detachably connecting wickets to the canvas.

A still further object resides in the improved construction of the bordering frame or rim for the canvas, said frame not only acting as a confining-border to keep the balls within a given area, but also serving to stretch the canvasand hold it in such stretched condition.

With the above and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete device as it appears when adjusted together and placed upon the table, floor, or other suitable support. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the mallets. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the balls. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of canvas, showing the opening for the button and the slits extending from diametrically opposite points of said opening. Fig. Sis an inner side view of the border-frame at the angle thereof, showing one of the end pieces of said frame which is permanently attached to the canvas in section and also showing the joint between the projection from said end .piece and one of the removable side pieces in connection with the means for rigidly connecting said pieces at the joint. Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the central portion of the side of the border frame or rim, showing the hinge at said central portion and the means for holding the hinged sections to the canvas. Fig. 11 is a transverse section through Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 illustrates a modified means for holding the side of the border frame or rim to the canvas.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 13 indicates the canvas or cloth to which the wickets and stake-posts are detachably secured. To the ends of this canvas are connected the end pieces 14 14 of a border frame or rim, which end pieces are attached by means of tacks or equivalent devices driven through the canvas, from the under side thereof,into the lower edges of the end pieces. These end pieces extend a slight distance along the side edges of the canvas, thereby forming the four corners of the frame. The side pieces of the border frame or rim are indicated by the numerals 15 15, and each side piece consists of two sections hinged together to form a central outwardly-opening hinge, the hingejoints being indicated by the numerals 16 16. The opposite ends of each side piece have secured thereto strips 17 17, which project beyond said ends and form channels or grooves in which the ends of the extensions of the end pieces of the border frame or rim are received, the said ends of the end pieces and the ends of the side pieces having a rabbet joint or connection, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 and as indicated by the numeral 18. In adjusting the side pieces of the bordering frame to the end pieces of said frame the ends of each side piece are adjusted to the ends of the extensions of the end pieces, so that the strips 17 will embrace the ends of said extensions and the rabbeted edges will register and match. This will have the effect of straightening out the centrally-hinged side piece, and consequently draw the canvas or cloth tight. The opposite side piece is of course adjusted and fitted in a similar manner. Suitable mechanism should be provided for holding the ends of the side pieces of the frame securely to the ends of the extensions of the end pieces of said frame. In the drawings I have shown for this purpose inverted-U-shaped wires or staples 19. One leg of each of these wires is passed down into a recess extending downwardly from the top edge of the side piece, and the other leg is passed down into a similar recess extending downwardly from the top edge of the extension of the end piece, as most clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9. When the frame is adjusted to the canvas in the manner pointed out, it is desirable that means should be provided for holding the canvas to the side pieces of the frame at points intermediate of the ends of the canvas, so as to hold the side pieces of the frame rigid to the canvas. Various means may be employed for this purpose, and in Fig. 10 I have shown in detail one means for accomplishing the same, consisting of a bail 20, pivoted in an elongated eye 21, secured to the canvas, the upper horizontal member of said bail adapted when the bail is turned upwardly to engage over a lip extending inwardly from a catch 22, secured to the inner side of one of the hinged members of each side piece. In Fig. 12 of the drawings I have shown a modified construction for accomplishing the same purpose, consisting in providing an opening 23 near the side edge of the canvas, said opening being reinforced by a metal rim or eye 2a. A pin 25 is adapted to extend through this opening and enter a recess in the under side of the hinged member, the lower end of the pin being bent at right angles to provide a head which extends beneath the canvas, and thereby locks the canvas to the hinged member.

The improved means adopted by me for detachably but rigidly connecting thewickets to the canvas consists of buttons 26 of any desirable material, each provided near its lower end with an annular groove 27. The upper portion of each button may, if desired, be given a rounded contour, as shown in the drawings. The canvas is provided with openings 28, and each opening is of such size as to permit its bordering edge to engage the annular groove of the button. In order to permit this engagement to be readily effected, each opening has extending from diametrically opposite points thereof the slits 29 29, which allow the opening to enlarge upon the insertion of a button. When the buttons are passed into the openings in the manner described, it will be seen that the bordering edge of each opening engages the annular groove of its button, and one of the enlargements formed by the annular groove will bear against the under side of the canvas and the other enlargement against the upper side of said canvas. If desired, for additional security cement may be applied to the groove of each button, so as to firmly connect the canvas to said button. Extending from the top surface of each button downwardly for a desired distance is a recess 30. The wickets, which are of the usual inverted-U-shaped form, are indicated by the numeral 31, and the depending legs of these wickets are fitted to the recesses 30 of the buttons, and hence said wickets are rigidly but removably connected to the buttons.

The stake-posts are indicated by the numeral 32, and each post is provided at its lower end with a projecting pin 33. Buttons 34 34 are employed for connecting the stake-posts to the canvas, and these buttons are similar in construction to the wicket-buttons 26, excepting that it is advisable that the upper surface of said stake-post buttons be flat in order that a square adjustment of the lower end of the stake-posts thereto may be provided. The projecting pins 33 of the stake-posts are of course passed into the recesses 30 of the buttons 34 and are thereby held to but may be disconnected from said buttons.

In the use of my invention the canvas or cloth is spread upon the table, floor, or other support and the bordering frame or rim ad justed in the manner hereinbefore fully pointed out. The several buttons are so disposed on the canvas that the wickets and stake-posts may be connected thereto in such manner that the arrangement will be exactly similar to an ordinary game of out-door croquet, and my improved game is played in an exactly similar manner to the ordinary game of out-door croquet. One of the mallets (indicated by the numeral 35) is shown in detail in Fig. 3, and one of the balls (indicated by the numeral 36) is shown in detail in Fig. 4:.

In order to add interest to the game, the ordinary rules of croquet may, if desired, be departed from to a slight extent, and to provide for this innovation I employ in connection with the central wicket and at opposite ends of said wicket curved passages 37 37, which are advisably formed by curved strips upstanding from the canvas and secured thereto in any desirable manner and detachably, if preferred, the curvature of said strips being such that semicircular passages are formed open at opposite ends, the said open ends pointing toward the wickets, which are disposed near the side edges of the canvas. It will be noticed that the inner upstanding strip of each passage is shorter than the outer strip, so that the ends of each outer strip will project beyond the ends of the inner strip, and thereby form means for permitting the ball to readily enter a passage. When employing IICI this construction in connectionwith my improved game apparatus, if a player who is for the central wicket succeeds in knocking his ball into one of the passagessay the upper passage of Fig. 1, if he is playing from the left toward the right of Fig. 1-'and the ball then rolls from said passage through the next side wicket this is equivalent to the ball having passed through a central wicket and also through said next side wicket, and the player will then be entitled to two more plays. While I prefer to provide the passages 37 37, yet it will be understood that these passages may, if preferred, be omitted and the ordinary rules of croquet followed closely.

From the foregoing description of my invention it will be seen that I provide a most convenient arrangement whereby the game may be quickly set up ready for play, and when so set up the canvas is drawn tight to provide a smooth surface for the balls to roll over. The parts can also be readily dismantled-that is to say, the side pieces of the border-frame, the wickets, and the stake-posts can be readily removed, and when so removed the canvas and the end pieces of the borderframe connected thereto can be rolled up and the entire game placed compactly in a box of comparatively small size.

What'I claim as my invention is 1. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas or other flexible fabric, of a border-frame comprising the end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, and side pieces each consisting of members upstanding from the canvas and hinged together at their inner ends so that their hinge connections open outwardly, said side members being adapted to be detachably connected at'their outer ends to the end pieces and having a tendency to bow outwardly as the result of the longitudinal tension of the canvas, and means for connecting the canvas to the side members so that the tendency of the side pieces to swing outwardly stretches the canvas therebetween.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas, or other flexible fabric, of a border-frame comprising the end pieces and the side pieces, said end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, and having extensions projecting along the side edges of the canvas for a desired distance, and each side piece upstanding from but unconnected to the canvas and adapted to be detachably connected at their outer ends to the ends of the extensions of the end pieces.

8. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas, or other flexible fabric, of a border-frame comprising the end pieces and the side pieces, said end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, and having'exborder-frame comprising the end pieces and v the side pieces, said end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, and having extensions projecting along the side edges of the canvas for a desired distance, and each side piece upstanding from but unconnected to the canvas, and having their outer ends provided with channels which receive the ends of the extensions of the end pieces.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas, or other flexible fabric, a border-frame comprising the end pieces andthe side pieces, said end pieces secured to and up.- standing from the end edges of the canvas, and each side piece upstanding from but unconnected to the canvas, and having their outer ends meeting the ends of the end pieces, and inverted-U-shaped wires, each wire having one leg engaging a recess near the outer. end of the side'piece, and its other leg engaging a recess near the end of the end piece.

6. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas or other flexible fabric, of a border-frame comprising the end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, rigid corner-pieces on the ends of the end pieces, and side pieces each consisting of members upstanding from the canvas and hinged together at their inner ends so that their hinge connections open otuwardly, said side members being adapted to be detachably connected at their outer ends to the corner-pieces, and means for connecting the canvas to the side members.

7. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas, or other flexible fabric, loops pivoted thereto near opposite side edges IIO thereof, an upstanding border-frame for said canvas, and catches secured to the inner sides of the side pieces of said frame and adapted to be engaged by the pivoted loops, when said loops are turned upwardly.

8. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas or other flexible fabric, of a border-frame comprising end pieces attached to the end edges of the canvas, and side pieces having connection with the end pieces and having the tendency to bow outwardly as the result of the longitudinal tension of the canvas, and means for connecting the canvas to the side pieces so that the tendency of the side pieces to bow outwardly gives the canvas a lateral tension.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base portion, a series of wickets secured thereto, upstanding curved strips or walls secured to the base at opposite ends of one of the wickets and forming channels at said. opposite ends, the open ends of the channels adapted to direct a ball toward the next succeeding wicket of the series.

10. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base portion, a series of wickets secured thereto, upstanding curved strips or walls secured to the base at opposite ends of one of the wickets and forming channels at said opposite ends, the open ends of the channels adapted to direct a ball toward the next succeeding wicket of the series, and the outer strip or wall of each channel having its ends projecting beyond the ends of the inner strip or Wall.

11. In a game apparatus, the combination of a canvas, or other flexible fabric, a borderframe comprising the end pieces and the side pieces, said end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, and each side piece consisting of members upstanding from but unconnected to the canvas and hinged together at their inner ends, and adapted to be detachably connected at their outer ends to the end pieces,

whereby the longitudinal tension of the canvas gives said side pieces a tendency to bow outwardly, and means for detachably holding the hinged members of each side piece in their straightened-out position to the canvas so that the tendency of the side pieces to swing outwardly stretches the canvas therebetween.

12. In a game apparatus, the combination with a canvas, or other flexible fabric, of a border-frame comprising the end pieces and the side pieces, said end pieces permanently and fixedly secured to and upstanding from the end edges of the canvas, and each side piece consisting of members upstanding from and detachably connected to the canvas, and having their inner ends movably connected together, and their outer ends detachably connected to the end pieces of the frame, said side members having a tendency to bow outwardly as the result of the longitudinal tension of the canvas and adapted thereby to give to the canvas a lateral tension.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD A. CANNON. Witnesses:

H. J. WUNDERLIOH, FRANK S. REINHART. 

